ItALY
Julia Holden and Edith Van den Eede
Trevisan & Cuonzo, Avvocati
ItALIAn
IP REfoRM
Th e past year has seen some very positive developments for IP owners Th e article was tested in the recent Vitra case, instigated by Vitra Patente
and practitioners in Italy. It has been particularly promising in the areas of AG (represented by Trevisan & Cuonzo) and currently pending before the
trademark, design and patent enforcement. IP Division of the Milan Court. A reference for a preliminary ruling on
this provision from the Milan Court was lodged in June 2009 and is now
Both the Italian government and practitioners have made concerted eff orts
pending before the European Court of Justice.
to improve the Italian industrial property legal framework and to increase
effi ciency in the fi ght against counterfeiting.
Pursuant to the newly revised version of Article 239, introducing the
notion of ‘within the limits of pre-use’, the protection granted to designs in
Changes to IP Code accordance with the Italian Copyright Law now “does not apply to parties
Th e most signifi cant legislative changes were amendments to the Italian
which, prior to 19 April 2001, started the production or commercialization
Industrial Property Code and the strengthening of protection for IP rights
of products manufactured in accordance with designs that were in or had
holders under the Italian Criminal Code.
entered the public domain. In such case this activity can be continued within
the limits of the pre-use. Th e manufacturing and commercialization rights
Firstly, Law No 99/2009 aff ected, amongst others, Article 239 of the Italian
cannot be transferred separately from the company.”
IP Code, which limits the protection granted to designs under copyright
legislation. Th is article was subject to intense controversy on a national
Changes to Criminal Code affecting IP regulation
level and had already been changed in 2007 following the European
Secondly, the law amended provisions of the Italian Criminal Code,
Commission’s proceedings against Italy for its infringement of the EU
Design Directive. In fact, the original version of Article 239 provided for
increasing criminal penalties for off ences in the IP fi eld. Most importantly,
a 10-year suspension of the copyright protection granted to design works
the penal sanctions foreseen by Articles 473 (on counterfeiting, alteration
if such works were in the public domain before April 19, 2001 (the date
or use of trademarks, distinctive signs, designs and patents) and 474
of entry into force of the legislative decree that transposed the Design
(selling products under a false sign) of the Italian Criminal Code have
Directive). Following the infringement proceedings, Italy amended the
increased. Fines can now amount to a maximum of €25,000 (the former
provision by simply removing the 10-year suspension, thus completely
maximum was €2,065) for a maximum of €35,000 for counterfeiting
denying copyright protection to design works that were in the public
designs and patents. In certain cases, prison terms have been increased to
domain before April 19, 2001.
four years. Th e previous maximum was three years.
102 World Intellectual Property Review Digest 2009 www.worldipreview.com
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